1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus storing image data to be referenced by an information processing apparatus and a method for controlling the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image processing apparatus including a nonvolatile storage device, a hard disk drive (HDD), for example, has been put into practical use. In such an image processing apparatus, there has been provided a function of storing image data in a format such as a portable document format (PDF), for example, which is easy for a personal computer (PC) to handle, as a format for storing scanned image data in a HDD (hereinafter referred to as an image storage function).
A storage function is provided with a function of using image data such as a PDF stored from an external PC or another image processing apparatus in an image processing apparatus (hereinafter referred to as file sharing function) in order for an image processing apparatus (PC) to easily use image data stored in the image processing apparatus.
On the other hand, a job archive application for recording the input and output of data including the image data of the image processing apparatus has been provided as another function of the image processing apparatus.
The job archive application refers to the one that records image data for archive used for inputting and outputting and auditing the image data of the image processing apparatus. The image data is recorded in a memory such as a HDD in the image processing apparatus or recorded in an external server.
The input and output of the image data of the image processing apparatus can be audited using the recorded image data for archive by an audit application separately operating on a server. If information leaks out, a user handling the information can be identified using the audit application.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-293833 discusses a technique in which the combination of the job archive application of the image processing apparatus and the audit application allows providing a function of prohibiting abuse of information from a standpoint of security using the image processing apparatus.
A conventional job archive application, however, records the input and output of image data associated with the execution of a job in a case where the image processing apparatus executes jobs such as a copy, a print, or an image transmission. However, in a case where image data is input and output independent of the execution of the job, the conventional job archive application may not be able to record image data for archive.
For example, it is presumed that a removable memory such as a universal serial bus (USB) memory can be attached to the image processing apparatus. If a copy of image data stored in the USB memory is formed in the HDD in the image processing apparatus (file copy), and if the image processing apparatus does not handle such a filing operation as a job, the image data for archive is not recorded in spite that image data is input to the HDD. For this reason, the audit performed later cannot identify who inputs the image data stored in the HDD and how the image data is input.
For example, if the image data received by the facsimile (FAX) reception function of the image processing apparatus is stored in the HDD using a data transfer function inside the image processing apparatus, image data for archive at the time of FAX reception is recorded, however, the image data for archive related to the image data stored in the HDD are not recorded. Consequently, the audit performed later cannot identify who inputs the image data stored in the HDD and how the image data is input.
On the other hand, there is a method for generating the image data for archive used for audit of the image data generated by an operation regarding the image data such as writing into or change of all image storage functions.
In a case where the image data for archive used for audit is generated, an external PC needs to generate all image data for archive used for audit even if all or a part of image data is changed. This causes a new problem that the image data for archive used for audit are enormously increased to bear down the storage capacity of the HDD.